CF Rainbow Tree 2023 Ornament Donations

The CF Rainbow Tree is back for the 2023 Christmas season! It’s once again that time of the year that I ask for your help in making all things come together for the good of Cystic Fibrosis patients both young and old at University Hospitals in Cleveland Ohio.

I need your help and your polymer clay Christmas ornament donations.

If you can make polymer clay ornaments, I’d sure appreciate it. Last year we didn’t hit our goal. We need 500 ornaments per year for this project. What does that mean? It means that I need you to make ornaments and send them my way for the good of Cystic Fibrosis patients of all ages this Christmas season. Please see the information below for details on making your clay Christmas ornament donation.

Color Palettes that Stand Out

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Color Palettes To Help Your Work Stand Out: Mid-Century Modern Box by KatersAcres

Fall Berries Color Palette & Color Recipe for Polymer Clay by KatersAcres

Wonderfully coordinated color palettes are one of the things that truly spark my creativity and light up my creative life. In much of the art world, things that speak to a person happen through good design and color. Every person has a color or a specific color palette that aligns with their soul, mood, personality, and even the design scheme of their home. In the opening season of the TV show Frasier, his producer goes to his home for the first time and says, “Exactly as I imagined, beige everywhere.” Most of the time, even our personalities tend to say a lot about our color and color preferences. For many artists, our color palette tends to reflect ourselves and not that of our customers or buyers. Well-seasoned artists do both and do it well; they design with their own specific color palettes but also keep their customers in mind.

No Such Thing as Scrap Clay Tutorial

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You’ve heard it said many times in polymer clay books, in tutorials, and most likely many other places that there is “no such thing as scrap clay.” But there’s a trick to gaining usable scrap clay and not just a mess of murky, brown, dirty ugliness.

Creative License

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Sometimes you get stuck in a creativity rut, you don’t know where to go and it seems like getting out is taking forever. I’ve had those times. I’ve gone through them and I’ve come out on the other side wondering where my creativity went, where it wandered off to, and why it ‘left’ in the first place.

Live Events Canceled

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Hey all! As with all good things, sometimes they come to an end. For right now in this season of my life, our LIVE VIDEOS are coming to an end. Life is very full and busy for my family and with so many things going on, I am going to cancel our 2nd Monday of the month LIVE videos.

How to Clean Your Studio in 15 Minutes

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A Guide on How to Clean Your Polymer Clay Studio in Less Than 15 Minutes on KatersAcres Blog

There are a lot of things that I love about having my own studio in a separate area from the everyday areas of my house. One of which is that I can shut the door (and even lock it if I want to)…and come back whenever I want. But here’s the neurotic part of me…I like my studio clean. In fact on any given day, my studio can be cleaner than the rest of my house. Why? Because that’s the way I like it! How? In less than 15 minutes I can clean the whole thing from top to bottom, even though the kitty lives in here with me. Read how to clean you can learn to clean up your studio and to keep it clean in less than 15 minutes with just a small bit of patience and time commitment.

Floss Box Clay Storage Solution

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Polymer Clay Storage Solutions by KatersAcres

Clay storage is a challenge for anyone who works with polymer clay, especially when 80% of clayers are working in a space the size of a closet. One of the hardest things about having a small studio is having adequate space to store things in, especially blocks, more blocks, and pounds of clay. This is especially hard for me, who may need multiple brands of clay, custom blends, inclusions, etc. Today I’m going to share with you how I store my opened packs of polymer clay, the clay that is constantly being used.

Polymer Clay Mokume-Gane Tutorial

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Skill Level: Basic Knowledge of Polymer Clay
Minimum Supplies Needed: Basic Supplies & 1 Cup of Coffee
Time to make 1 Mokume Gane Loaf: Approximately 45 minutes

This is a great polymer clay tutorial that has many uses. Mokume-gane can be used in beads, projects, jewelry, covering, and even as a background for textured and embossed pieces. Mokume-gane is versatile and offers hundreds of color combinations, color palettes, and unique design patterns, that you can not simply plan.

Edited & Rewritten: 2/21/23

The Return of the StoryBook Scenes

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Valentine's Day Parker with Rainbow & Heart Flowers - Polymer Clay StoryBook Scene by KatersAcres

Many years ago, Parker & Lolly had adventures all around Kater’s Acres. I captured each of those adventures in what I called a StoryBook Scene. After almost 6 years, I am happy to announce their return.

New Kater’s Acres Studio

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At the very beginning of 2023, I challenged my sculpting group to come up with a big-ticket item on their to-do list and just conquer it, straight away in the new year. This big-ticket item doesn’t have to be cost related, but it does have to be big in terms of time spent or given to something. So … my big-ticket item? I needed a new Kater’s Acres studio and fast. My current studio and office set-up wasn’t suiting my needs anymore. Not only had I outgrown the space, but most importantly, it wasn’t bringing me any joy. So after speaking with my husband, we decided that on Jan. 1st, 2023 we would tackle this big-ticket item.

Prepare for 2023

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Over on Kater’s Acres Whimsical Clay Sculpting group on Facebook I try to write something that is motivational and inspirational to your clay journey on Mondays. Seeing how we are about to turn over a new leaf, saying goodbye to 2022 and saying hello to 2023, it’s appropriate to put a bit of thought into our preparations. Just as we do for the season of Advent, preparing our hearts and homes for the arrival of the baby Jesus, we do the same for the New Year. Many of us do that by coming up with resolutions, choosing a ‘word’ or a ‘phrase’ for the new year, or even by setting goals. So let’s stop for a minute and think about how you might want to prepare for the new year and what’s coming up for you in 2023.

10 Polymer Clay Tips & Tricks

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As with all things in life, we pick some things up and get good at them…and yet with other things we need help. I am a 100% self-taught polymer clay artist. I have purchased several polymer clay books and use several very religiously. Here are 10 hints, tips, & tricks for working with polymer clay that you may not already know or thought of that will help you in your own polymer clay jouney.

Polymer Clay Studio Tip: Reusable Cloths

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Polymer Clay Studio Tip - Using Reusable Cloths to Keep Your Studio Clean by KatersAcres

Today’s studio tip is a rare one as it has almost nothing to do with polymer clay … but it does have to do with your studio, your brushes, and helping to keep your studio clean and lint-free!

Nelson, the Polymer Clay Pumpkin Doll

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Nelson the Pumpkin Doll in Branches by Katie Oskin

Every month at The Blue Bottle Tree Insiders, we are challenged to do something with polymer clay. The challenge topic is chosen by Ginger and every month it is different from covering an object, to nail powders and even color mixing. This month, however, it is to sculpt a pumpkin head. [Get face-making stuff here] Yay!

Polymer Clay PUMPKIN FACE DOOR KNOCKER by KatersAcres

I do seasonal door knockers and dolls to place around my home. The door knockers I place on my front door year round and change them out seasonally, or whenever I feel like it. So because of this month’s challenge, I decided to do a pumpkin doll. I’ve done numerous pumpkin designs to place around my home, even in color schemes to compliment the decor. One of the most fun pumpkin designs was the Pumpkin Garden Tower. But without further ado, let’s meet Nelson, my pumpkin doll made for the Insiders challenge.

CF Rainbow Tree 2022 Ornament Donations

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The CF Rainbow Tree is back for the 2022 Christmas season! As with many hospitals, the pandemic has changed many protocols and things that need to be done to help our project along. But, as per usual …

I’m in need of your help and your polymer clay Christmas ornament donations.

If you can make polymer clay ornaments, I’d sure appreciate it. I need your help decorating a Christmas tree & making ornaments to give to Cystic Fibrosis patients of all ages & staff once again this year. Please see the information below for details on making your clay Christmas ornament donation.

How to Use Blending Chalks on Polymer Clay

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What Are Blending Chalks?

Blending chalks are just that, chalks that are blendable. Blending chalks can also be called chalk pastels or soft pastel chalks. Chalks can be used on a variety of surfaces, including polymer clay. Their color can be easily applied with a brush, sponge-tip applicator, and a variety of other applications.